


Worth a Shot?

by DSBooth



Category: Original Work
Genre: Awkward Romance, Fiction, Original Fiction, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-23 18:19:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19706869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DSBooth/pseuds/DSBooth





	Worth a Shot?

“You’re still here.”

He ran towards me to catch the pieces of my art project that were falling out of my arms.

“Uh, yeah, I thought you could use the support.” I hadn’t heard that southern drawl in a while, and it was almost comforting. “Not that you needed it, Ms. First Place. Congrats.”

“Thank you.” A wide smile spread across my face. I’d worked for months on that project and right up until the end I wasn’t sure I’d even place at all. Andy stepped back and shyly shoved his hands into his pockets. In all the years I’d known him this was the first time I’d ever seen him look…bashful?

His big brown eyes sparkled when he smiled; they always did, and this time was no exception. He usually stuck to t-shirts and sweats but on this day he went with a bright white t-shirt, a contrast to his sun-kissed skin, and dark distressed jeans that (knowing him) cost almost as much as my rent. Andy stepped from side to side, his hands fidgeting with his pockets and his bottom lip being grinded away by his teeth.

“Correct me if I’m wrong Andy, but you seem to be a little nervous.”

His skin flushed pink and he let out a hesitant chuckle. “Um, yeah I guess you could say that.”

The wheels in my brain started turning. Almost five years I’d known Andy, and in those five years I’d seen him sit stone faced through one nerve-wracking situation to another, some that I don’t even know how he made it through. But that day, standing in front of me, Andy looked like he was facing his biggest fear.

I looked to my left and saw an empty table that no one had broken down yet and set my project down on it. Andy followed my lead and my arms crossed over my chest as I stared straight into his eyes. “Andy Sullivan, I don’t see what could make you so nervous about being at a tiny art show with your best friend’s ex-girlfriend. So spill.”

Andy’s eyes dropped to his feet, but not before flashing me a bright white-toothed grin that would make anyone melt. And to my surprise, it was working on me this time. I felt a head-spinning, heart-fluttering feeling I hadn’t felt before with Andy standing in front of me.

Andy stammered and stuttered, pacing back and forth on the spot and doing everything possible to avoid all eye contact with me. “I-I was wondering if um…”

I made a motion with my hands to hurry him along. Not only did I have somewhere else to be, I was wondering what had him so nervous in the first place. Andy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I was wondering if you’d let me take you to dinner tonight.” He rushed the sentence out, almost slurring all the words together.

My eyes widened and my heart dropped into my stomach. Did I really hear what I thought I just heard? “I-I’m sorry,” I said very taken aback, “Can you repeat that?”

“I honestly don’t think I can,” he said looking down at his feet, “I feel like throwing up having just said it once.”

“Does Matt know you’re here? Does he know what you’re doing?”

Andy shook his head. “No, and I don’t care to tell him. After he did what he did to you I haven’t spoken to him in almost a year.”

To say I was shocked was an understatement. Matt and Andy had been friends their whole lives. You couldn’t pry those two apart with a crowbar. Yet, here Andy was, standing in front of me without Matt trailing behind him, and apparently them not having spoken in nearly a year.

“Y-you tossed aside your best friend, your longest friendship because a girl got her heart broken?” I asked.

Andy took a couple steps closer. “Not just any girl. I knew when Matt met you that you were different; that you were something special. And I told him that. And I told him that if he ever did you wrong in any way that I would never speak to him again, and that I would be the first in line to show you how you deserve to be treated. He knows better than what he did. His parents raised him better, and I know I taught him better than that. He knew what he was doing was wrong and he still did it anyway so as far as I’m concerned, he has no respect for either of us, and you deserve better.”

I was speechless. All I could do was look at him. Was I being pranked? Was Matt standing around the corner waiting to run out and high five his best friend once I fell for the game they were playing? As sick and twisted as I’d come to find out Matt was, I wouldn’t put it past him to pull something like this. Instinctively, I looked over my shoulder to my left, then to my right. Then I stepped aside to check behind Andy, and he knew exactly what I was doing.

“You can scour every square inch of this place with a fine-tooth comb Lise, he’s not here.” Andy took another step forward and gently tilted my head to where I was looking up at him. His deep brown eyes carried a look of compassion I’d never seen before, and after five years I’d finally become one of those helpless girls that melted at his gaze. Maybe I was still fragile. Maybe I should’ve said no, and maybe I should’ve walked away, but for whatever reason, I didn’t.

“You know he might literally kill us if he finds out.” I whispered, not wanting anyone to overhear. I’d done my best to keep what happened with Matt under wraps and I wasn’t about to let everything come out now, especially when I was on my way to a state and hopefully a national art competition.

“I won’t let that happen. I meant every word I said. I understand if you’re not ready, but whenever you are, my offer still stands, and you know how to find me.” Andy’s eyes quickly darted down to my lips, then back to my eyes. And as if he’d decided against what he was thinking, he dropped his hand and turned to walk away. I quickly wrestled back and forth in my head as I watched him walk towards the door.

_Oh, screw it._

Just as his hand touched the handle of the door to push it open, I found myself calling, “Andy wait!”

He turned around as I charged towards him, eager to get what I wanted to do out of the way before I changed my mind. He opened his mouth to talk but was interrupted by my own pushing against it. We were both tense at first but relaxed into the kiss. Andy’s left arm wrapped my waist and his right hand cupped my neck, gently pulling me up as he was nearly a foot taller than I was. He’d thought about this before. I hadn’t. My hands wandered aimlessly around his arms not really knowing where they were supposed to be.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds before our lips separated. It felt like I wasn’t in control of my own body. I’d never thought of Andy that way before, and I don’t know what possessed me in that moment but for some reason I had to follow through with it.

“Let’s try it.” I said, breathless.

Nothing could beat seeing the smile on his face then.


End file.
